The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-07-15
Our Washington Letter
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Jul lltb. 1887.

Aho i"teSL scdnudl up W TIE i)rtSeuL
writing, in Washington, is the forgery of
Oscar J. Harvey, late chief of division in
the office of the Third Auditor of the Treas
ury. Harvey's fraudulent practices have
been singularly original inasmuch SIS they
have been conducted without accomplices.
While Chief Of the Horse Claims Division
he discovered in the files of the Office GER
tain claims which had been perfected but
never finally acted upon. He took these
cases under his special protection and by
an official correspondence written by him
self under the assumed name of w. w.
Wynn, Atty. to the Auditor, urging pay
ment of these claims. he succeeded In hav-
ing paid to himself the nice little SIN of
$4,000. As the business of w. w. Wynn
before the Auditor was carried on entirely
by correspondence, no personal appear
ance Of the imaginary Attorney at the De-
partment was necessary. and by means Of
such simple tools as an assumed handwrit-
ing and fraudulant stamp, easily con-
Quoted his dishonest work. If he had
not added his own name to that of
Wynn on the endorsement of the checks
made payable by the Government to Wynn
and rad. y cAaLcI ~ Harvey a. one of
the city banks, it is doubtful whether he
would have been detected SO soon. He
probably was afraid to trust any one as ac-
complce to cash the Government drafts for
him, and did it himself thus weaving the
first thread of evidence that lead to his de.
lection. He now lodges in dirty cell In
the district Jail surrounded by negro GRIM
inals, and other dodgers in the Jail. Char
acters not at all resembling Mr.. Harvey's
former associates or his appearance, which
is described by one of the Washington
journals as Aesthetic" 1t is certainly re-
markable the wonderful! capacity and in
genuity developed by men of the most
commonplace ability in ordinary matters.
when they form dishonest purpose. The
same skill and patience if used in honest
effort might make them great.
Secretary Fairchild of the Treasury has
just purchased very handsome residence
in this city. 1t is situated on New Hamp-
shire Avenue near the houses of Jas. G..
Blaine, s. s. Cox, Gardener Hubbard, and
other prominent men, who haye residences
in the vicinity of Dupont Circle, the new
est and most valuable part of Wash ington.
Secretary Fairchild's purchase differs how
eyer, from the houses in this locality of
various and complicated styles of architec-
ture. His house is a solid square red
brick English looking mansion, exception
ally free from modern orna mentation
Another real estate transaction of a Cabinet
officer is also attracting attention here this
week. This time it is Secretary Whitney
who sells his farm of seventy-five acres,
called "Grasslands" for $4,000. A thous.
and dollars an acre. The original tract
of hundred acres cost Mr.. Whitney about
$37 900, two years ago. A few months
ago, he sold twenty-five acres of the origi-
nal farm for little more than that sum.
BY this final sale of the remaining part the
Seer etary of the Navy clears $75, 900, in
two years. Opinions may differs as to what
are the duties and obligations of Cabinet
Officer. No one argues that man in be-
coming member of the Presidential Cab
met surrenders any of his rights as private
citizen, to invest his money as he pleases,
but when Cabinet officer uses the motor
iety and importance of his official position
to boom up track of land to three times
its original value he commits an act that
lays him open to public censure, and the
Secretary cannot justly complain if he is
severely criticised. 1t is quite certain
that if Mr.. w. G. Whitney lawyer from
New York. and not the Secretary of the
Navy had sold farm on the Tenallytown
road near Washington, he would not have
made 70 per cent by the transaction at the
end of two years. A reasonable and gradual
increase in value, is the legitimate expecta-
ton and result of an all fair investment.
Those expectations are naturally greater in
growing and improving localities, but such
extrayagant increases in the prices of real
estate in the district, such as have prevail
ed during the last year, are unnatural, and
will result in disaster to somebody. These
spectators in real estate and their agents
are so greedy they will kill the goose that
lays the golden egg. Perhaps not before
they have sayed their own bacon, and I'M
loaded their surplus sand lots on some vic
tim who does not scent the decline as they
do.
About six weeks ago, Queen Kapiolani
visited Washington and was received like
the Queen of Sheba, though she did not ar
rive like that great Queen, for her train
was very meagre. She now returns to our
shores after short visit to the English
Court, but alas, how differently. She is
now dethroned monarch. Her husband
Kalakua is no longer king of the Sandwich
Islands. Let her keep away from Wash
in0ton bis time Gha hac learned hnw wa